Recycling

New FHWA Survey Finds Asphalt Recycling Reaches 99 Percent;

Warm Mix Usage Skyrockets

Asphalt pavement is not only America’s most recycled and reused material, it now is being recycled and reused at a rate over 99 percent. Use of environmentally friendly warm-mix asphalt grew by more than 148 percent from 2009 to 2010, a trend that is expected to continue. Recycling of asphalt pavements and asphalt shingles in 2010 alone conserved 20.5 million barrels of asphalt binder.

These are some of the key findings in a new survey of asphalt pavement usage, which NAPA completed under contract to the Federal Highway Administration. The report, titled Asphalt Pavement Mix Production Survey: 2009-2010 (NAPA Information Series 138), is available as a free download. The survey examined the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) in 2009 and 2010. RAP, RAS, and WMA conserve raw materials; conserve energy; cut emissions from production and paving operations; and improve conditions for workers. Some highlights from the data:

• RAP: The asphalt industry remains the country’s number one recycler. The amount of RAP used in asphalt pavements was 56.0 million tons in 2009 and 62.1 million tons in 2010. Assuming 5 percent liquid asphalt in RAP, this represents over 3 million tons (19 million barrels) of asphalt binder conserved. About 96 percent of the contractors/ branches reported using RAP. Less than 1 percent of RAP was sent to landfills.

• WMA: Total tonnage of WMA is estimated at 19.2 million tons in 2009 and 47.6 million tons in 2010. This was a 148 percent increase. Plant foaming is used most often in producing WMA. Additives accounted for about 17 percent of the total WMA production in 2009 and 8 percent in 2010.To view/download the full report Asphalt Pavement Mix Production Survey: 2009-2010, click here.

FHWA/EPA Report Showing that Asphalt Topped the Recycling Chart As Long Ago as 1993:The Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Highway Administration issued a report showing asphalt as America's number one recycled product. For a PDF of a chart from that report, [Click Here].

Asphalt producers also incorporate materials from other industries into pavements.